Fang: The Afterstory
by Megadora
Summary: My version, year by year, of what happens after Fang: A Max Ride Novel. Told in Fang and Max's POV. Kept in character as much as possible. Rated T because of very mild language and possible action/romance later on.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: This is the first story I've published on this website, though I've haunted it for years. Nobody besides my sisters has ever read anything I wrote so I'm anxious to see what you guys think.**

**I do not own Maximum Ride or Fang. If I did, I would be publishing for pay, not on a free website. :)**

Fang (2010)

For hours, I flew.

The flying helped.

The air filling my wings reminded me that I was still here, still the same _me_.

And yet… I wasn't.

I shook my head. Past time for second guessing. I had made my decision.

She would be so mad if I went back now. Even if I went back…

I shook my head again. Best not to think about that.

I took a deep breath and gathered my courage, and then I turned my head, scanning the horizon I was leaving behind.

…No winged shape followed.

She must have decided not to follow me.

Good. That's good. Yet my chest seemed tight and I realized I was angry.

Any other time she wouldn't listen to me. She would disregard my wishes and to hell with the consequences.

Never again, though. Never would I get to see her eyes narrow in anger when I questioned her orders. Or her face redden as she begrudgingly admitted I was right. Her cheeks blush when I caught her staring at me. Her eyes light up when I smiled at her.

My chest seemed to constrict more. My lungs, so adept at pulling oxygen from even the thinnest air, seemed unable to fill. I needed to land for just a minute.

I angled my wings and dropped very quickly. The wind was burning my eyes, stinging my cheeks with cold. I closed my eyes. I could feel the ground looming up beneath me.

Closer, closer…

I snapped open my eyes and my wings in the same instant, coming to an abrupt stop rather painfully. I hardly felt it. The pain in my chest was overpowering.

Slowly, I landed on the ground. I was a little dizzy. Probably from dropping so fast with my eyes closed. I took a few deep breaths, keeping my wings extended to let them cool and keep my airways fully open.

I stood that way for a while. Can't say exactly how long. It wasn't like I had anywhere to be.

I hadn't really decided where I was going to go or what I was going to do. For now it seemed easiest to just focus on getting… away.

Distance, that will help.

I looked back. Shouldn't have, but I did.

How long had I been flying? Four hours? Six?

I really didn't know.

The backpack I had brought with me was pathetically empty. Extra pairs of clothes. A few cans of food. A couple of granola bars. I had felt bad, stealing from the Flock. They needed it more than I did.

I should have been hungry, but I wasn't. Besides, it was probably best to save my food until I found a city or an abandoned house or something.

I figured I may as well get some sleep. It would be easier to be unseen at night, with my black wings and dark clothes, but it would also be hotter during the day. And I knew my body must be tired.

Reluctantly, I found a covered grove of trees and lay down, using my backpack as a pillow.

This, I found, was the hardest part of being alone. With the Flock, there was always someone on watch, even if it was only a blind kid with a crazy ability to hear. Now, every little sound could be something sneaking up on me. Something with a dart gun. Or a real gun. No warning.

And when I tried to stay still and sleep anyway, that's when the memories came.

_Max, in her little dog crate across from mine, staring up a Whitecoat with all the defiance a four year old could muster._

_Angel, with her big Bambi eyes asking for a little stuffed bear._

_Max, looking at me from across the room and knowing exactly what I was thinking._

_Iggy, cooking in the kitchen and turning to hit me with a spatula when I crept up next to him. _

_Max, flying just ahead of me, glancing back to make sure we were all still together._

_Nudge, chattering nonstop about some new magazine she picked out of a garbage can and found out the holey jeans she was wearing were actually in style._

_Max, bruised and bloody and still the most beautiful thing I have ever seen._

_Gazzy, running from the kitchen as Max tried to cook, yelling as he went, "That smells worse than me!"_

_Max, panicking the first time I went invisible._

_Max, laying on a metal table, telling me she loved me._

_Max, crouched above me after Ari beat me, her lips red with blood from my lips._

_Max crying into my shoulder… Max smiling at me from across the aisle… _

_Max, her arms around me, whispering to me, "Don't ever leave me again."_

_My reply, "I won't. I won't, not ever."_

"Gahh!" I yelled as I sat up and threw my backpack against a tree. I heard the cans smack together but I didn't care.

I wanted to go back. So badly.

I held my head and thought.

Right now she is probably storming around the house, cursing my name. Or crying alone in her room.

Or crying on Dylan's shoulder.

I wish I had something else to throw. At Dylan.

I quickly reminded myself of why I had to leave.

To keep them safe. To keep _her _safe.

Max with Dylan is better than Max dead because of me.

Mostly.

I sighed angrily and laid back on the hard ground.

I needed a plan. Something else to move toward, to focus on.

What would Max do?

She had wanted us to learn. She wanted us to be prepared for whatever was coming next.

I could do that. For her, I could do anything.

Tomorrow, my mission was to find a library or a café with free internet or _something_, and learn.

**A/N: So let me know what you think. I have four more "chapters" written already (some in Fang's POV and some in Max's), but I'm not going to put them up until at least one person reviews. I need to know somebody is following. If you think I need to include something, let me know and I will see if I can fit it in, although I already know where I'm going with the story. Still, your input is appreciated. Thanks.**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Goodness, you guys certainly delivered in the review department! Here's me keeping my end of the bargain.**

**I skipped ahead two years because I want to get to the nitty gritty stuff. Maybe I'll come back at the end and fill in the gaps, but I hope you guys don't mind me getting ahead of myself.**

**Since this chapter is so short and since you guys are the best readers ever, I'm going to put up another chapter right after this. And (surprise!), it's going to be the first Max POV chapter.**

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Fang (2012)

For two years, I learned. I studied everything I could about global warming, the melting of the polar ice caps, the changing environment… I even read about past major environmental changes, about theories of what happened to make the earth, to kill the dinosaurs, the ice age, what happened after the ice age.

I read every newspaper I could find, followed the development of national ties and treaties, read about legislatures and laws that passed. I watched as people around the world realized that the earth was changing -_dying_- right in front of them, _because_ of them.

And then, in December of 2012, while I was in Oregon, everything changed.

It was all over the news that there was some strange disease running rampant through the world. It started in coastal cities, then the farmlands, and quickly spread to major cities and towns.

Scientists later realized that the disease had been contained in the polar ice caps, but when they thawed to a certain point, it was released. The ice-melt merged with water in the ocean, and from there it was in the blood of the world. There was no way we could have stopped it. We were too late.

People panicked when they heard the news. Everyone believed they had the symptoms. It was easy to mistake at first. It started with nausea and after you had thrown up everything you could, dry heaves turned to a hacking cough. With the cough came a strange weakening of the muscles. After a few days you couldn't even move and your muscles were visibly shrunken.

It was a gruesome disease. Some people died quickly, in less than a day in some cases. Others lingered on for weeks. People died in their beds in pools of excrement and vomit. Scientists were unable to stop it.

They tried to find a vaccine, but within a few months almost everybody who might have had the ability to find one was dead.

I waited to see if I would develop the disease. It was always in the back of my mind that Angel's prophecy could still be in effect. Maybe when I had died for a few minutes two years ago, that had been fulfilling the prophecy. Or maybe I was still destined to die. Now seemed as good a time to die as any.

But I lived.

And after about six months the plague or virus or whatever it was went away. Nobody got sick anymore. The last few infected were dead or dying.

Newspapers were printed for the last time. They wrote a farewell to some of the more important figures that had died. Celebrities and actors. Olympic athletes and Sports superstars. The President and Vice President.

People hardly cared anymore. Most had lost everyone they knew.

The newspaper estimated the new world population to be 2.1 billion people.

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**A/N: So let me know what you think. I'm sure there will be repercussions to my method of apocalypse, but hey, something had to happen. I'm going to start setting up the next chapter for you. It should be up in a few hours. Thanks for reading and feel free to review!**


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: As promised, Max's debut chapter! Keep up the reviews and I'll keep updating as fast as I can!**

**Just a reminder, I do not own Max Ride. Although, I would gladly take Fang off JP's hands if he was in a giving mood. :)**

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Max (2013)

The town below us had a few signs lit up. Grocery stores and a gas station.

"Check it guys, these people still have electricity," I pointed out to the Flock. I was hoping to get their spirits up a little. The last town we passed had piled up their dead and was burning them. The column of smoke was so big, it was hard to fly around.

My positive outlook didn't seem to have much of an effect, but I was determined to stay positive for them. They had been there for me the past two and a half years as I went through my issues.

Gazzy gave me a thumbs up. Iggy, of course, didn't bother to look. Nudge just shrugged her shoulders.

Dylan tried to act thrilled. "That's great, Max! Should we go check it out? Maybe get some supplies?"

I rolled my eyes. I knew he meant well, but his enthusiasm was grating sometimes.

I dove closer to the town, doing a quick head count of the people I saw. There were at least forty, one of the biggest living towns we had seen in a while.

"Nah, I think we'll keep going. Those folks probably need all the supplies they can get. We can find somewhere a little less populated and scrounge around."

Nudge snorted. "Ha. Scrounge. You'd think with all these people dead, there would be plenty of food to go around."

I glanced at her. That last town had been devastating for her. We were all so young and had already seen so much horror, and yet the world is always providing more horrible things for us to witness.

_You are going to change that, Max. It's what you were made for, _my Voice said encouragingly.

I sighed, _You know, I was kind of hoping you might have caught that disease…_

_That was genuinely unkind. I'm only trying to help you. It's all I've ever done._

I snorted. _Well it seems both of us have failed. Does the world look saved to you?_

_Max, in order to heal sometimes we must first cut deeper._

That made me angry. _So all those dead people deserved to die?_

_Deserved has nothing to do with it,_ the Voice said calmly. _Something needed to be done. If it helps, look at it as if the world was defending itself._

I decided to see if the silent treatment would work on my Voice.

_I know you're angry, Max. But this is the worst it's going to get._

We were passing over the grocery store, just a few hundred feet above it. The roof was littered with cardboard boxes and a few birds' nests but not much else. Suddenly, three men appeared behind the big block letters on the store. Not popped out from behind something, just _appeared. _And of course, they had guns pointed at us.

_You were saying? _

"Up, guys! Let's get some air between us and them!" I shouted, beating my wings hard to get out of range.

They followed. Even Gazzy, now youngest of the Flock, managed to keep up.

A bullet whistled over my shoulder and I flinched. If my wing had been going up instead of down right at that instant, I would be dropping like a rock right now. Another bullet hissed through the air behind me.

"Ahh!"

I glanced behind me. "Who's hit?"

"Not hit," Iggy said, "but darn close." He held his shoe forward for a second and I saw a chunk of rubber missing from his heel. "I know why _I_ didn't see the shooters, but why didn't you?" He asked, still flapping harder for altitude.

"They weren't there, Ig," Gazzy explained, and can you believe the kid actually sounded _excited _about this?

"Ah, yeah, I'm pretty sure they were," Iggy said, pointing to his shoe.

"No, I mean they weren't there, and then they just _were_ you know? Like they had transported there or something. Or they were invisible like-"

He stopped suddenly. I had stopped breathing, my wing beats paused for a fraction of a second and I dropped a few feet.

Nobody said anything.

I let my brain tune out and just focused on beating my wings.

Up, down, glide, quick-up-down, glide, repeat. Breathe. Sometimes that was the hardest part, remembering to breathe.

When the sun started to set, I pointed to a cluster of trees.

"That looks like as good a place as any to call home for tonight, guys."

As one, we started to descend, circling the trees a few times to check for any signs of danger. When it looked clear, we landed, each a few feet apart to allow for our wings.

"Firewood," I mumbled, pointing and heading out in the direction I had indicated. "You guys can unpack. Eat something."

As I was picking up dry looking sticks, I couldn't help but think. Life and death situations like that always made me think about… Fang.

If that bullet would have hit my wing, he wouldn't have been there to catch me. He wouldn't have been there to help. He had thought leaving was the best way to help me, to protect me, but obviously that was some crazy mixed up logic.

Besides, if he was going to die I would rather be with him when it happens. Let him know, again, that I loved him, even after he left.

Could he still be alive? Angel had said he would die first, and soon. But did that close brush with death count, almost three years ago? Or is he still destined to die- permanently? Did he make it through the plague? Where was he? Alone?

I leaned against a tree, wishing I could stop torturing myself like this. But not knowing whether or not he was alive was unbelievably difficult to handle. Not knowing he was at least here, on this post apocalyptic earth… It was almost unbearable.

If he was alive… Where was he? Could he be near me? Could he be just a few wing beats over the horizon? Did he miss me? Could he possibly be looking for me?

There was a quiet rustling noise behind me and I dropped the firewood I had been holding and spun around in a fighting stance. The bushes shifted and a part of me just hoped…

"Dylan," I sighed, in relief and disappointment.

"Yeah, just me," he said.

What had I been hoping? That Fang would just waltz out of the woods and everything would be okay? Things wouldn't be the same anyway. He would be different, _I _was different. _Years_ had passed. And would I really be willing to trust him again? To love him again?

I knew the answer to that immediately:

Absolutely.

If he walked out of those trees right now, I would welcome him with open arms.

But it doesn't matter, 'cause he didn't.

I started picking up the pieces of wood again. Dylan bent to help me. I thought about waving him off, but it seemed easier to focus when someone was with me. Not so much with Dylan in particular. I always found myself going over every word I said about Dylan in front of Fang, wondering if it had drove him away. It had to be at least partly my fault that he left. Referring to Dylan as Mr. Perfect probably didn't help.

"Max," Dylan said carefully, like I might explode at any minute, "I know you're hurting but, are you okay?"

I glared at him. A little defiance never hurt. "I'm not hurting. What makes you think I'm hurting?"

He continued picking up wood, not meeting my eyes. "It's fine. I just, I know you are."

"I'm thinking about hurting _you_," I snarled. "How is it you think you know so much about me?"

"Max-"

"No, I want to know," I threw down the wood I had just picked back up and shoved him. He struggled to catch the wood he was holding. Briefly, I remembered shoving Fang at the Director's house, and him shoving me back against the wall. We had been so close I could smell him. That clean smell that was his alone, even when we couldn't find a shower for weeks at a time.

I let out a small gasp that probably sounded like a sob. But I wasn't crying. I _wouldn't_. Definitely not in front of Dylan.

I shoved him again and he dropped the firewood.

"C'mon, I want to know. You've only known me for like, two and a half years so what makes you think you know me so well?"

"Max-" His back was up against a tree now.

"Tell me! Why do you think you know what I'm feeling?" I was yelling at him now, mad that he wouldn't look at me, wouldn't answer.

He met my eyes slowly , with sadness and pain in his eyes.

"I know what I would feel if I lost you."

I opened my mouth, and then closed it, my anger deflating as his words sank in. His eyes flashed down to my mouth and I suddenly realized how close we were.

"I-" I started to step back slowly and he leaned forward with me.

"Max, I-" His voice was soft and inviting.

I leapt backward, stroking my wings once to distance myself further. The hand that had been reaching for my face found only air. He dropped it to his side, quickly trying to cover the pain on his face.

"You know, I think you can handle getting the firewood yourself. I'm gonna go and… check on the kids."

Before he could object, I flapped my wings and was gone.

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**A/N: There is a "part two" to this chapter. It's short and just finishes up these events before heading back to Fang. I'll post it tomorrow night, maybe. I feel like you guys are catching up pretty fast so I need to get writing! Your kind reviews always provide encouragement to do so! Thanks!**

**PS I'm going to explain Angel's (and Total's) absence all in good time, my lovelies.**


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Okay guys, here's "part two" of Max's chapter. Sorry it's so short, but I will try to make the next one longer to make up for it.**

**To answer a few of your reviews:**

**maximumpotter101: Yeah, I know Fang claimed he had a plan, but I have this theory that he was just saying that so Max wouldn't come after him and he crossed it out because he didn't want to lie to her. Of course, I could be wrong.**

**MaxRideLOVER: I'm aware of the contest and I'm thinking about trying my hand at a chapter, but I don't think I know Dylan well enough to write too much about him. **

**maispecialk: Yeah, I came up with the ice releasing the virus thing on my own. I have an overactive imagination, but I figured such a phenomenon could actually happen.**

**To the rest of you, thanks so much for all your reviews! I assure you, I love each and every one!**

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The next morning I made a point to avoid Dylan. Even more than usual, I mean.

I helped pack up the supplies we had used last night, checked Iggy's shoe to make sure the bullet wasn't still in it, and always made sure I was with one member of the Flock whenever Dylan was around.

I was sure he was just waiting to get me alone so he could discuss what had, or hadn't, happened last night. Dylan was way more free with his feelings than-

Than I was used to.

Anyway, his impressions, emotions, whatever- he wanted to share.

And I sure as heck didn't.

So as soon as we were all packed up, I gave the signal to take off.

You try having a serious conversation at thousands of feet in the air with the wind howling in your ears. If worse comes to worst I could always act like I didn't hear him.

Of course that didn't stop him.

"Hey Max?"

I ignored him. Yeah, it was childish, but really, having this conversation in front of the children? I'm pretty sure that was worse.

He didn't have problems flying anymore, but I didn't expect it when his voice was directly above me.

"Max?"

He was only a foot or two above me. Our wings were only a few inches apart at the down stroke.

Jeez, when did he get so good at flying? Anyone else wouldn't have been able to get their wing beats timed just right and it would have been a mid air collision.

_He wouldn't be able to do that with anyone else, Max and neither could you. I told you, he is very in tune with you. _Ah, the Voice, always with the insight.

_Shut up, _I snapped back.

It was hard to turn my head enough to be able to meet his eyes, but that was okay because I wasn't really all that interested in whatever he had to say. No matter what kind of fancy maneuvers he pulled off to talk to me.

"Yes?" I growled at him, in a tone that clearly said I didn't care.

"I was just wondering, and I'm sure the others are, too… Where are we going?"

Oh.

"Um, well."

I looked back and saw the others were listening as well, watching me and waiting for an answer.

"Well, I figured we should probably go to D.C. See what's going on in the thick of things, you know?"

"Wait, so we are taking an active role in the government now?" Iggy asked incredulously.

"Not necessarily, Ig. I just want to see what's going on, see if anybody is trying to establish order. It seems a bit late to save the world now."

"No," Nudge, speaking for the first time since our near death experience yesterday. "No, it's not too late. Don't you see?"

She glanced at each of us.

"It may be in bad shape, but this world can still be saved. We've been given a clean slate, see? This is our chance." She continued, her eyes bright with the idea. "We can all start over. New laws, new everything. We know now, don't we? It can't be like last time around. We have to be careful. We have to respect the earth- we didn't before. Now though, we can learn from this. We have to show them that they have to do things different this time." She looked at me. "_You _have to tell them, Max."

I was a little shocked. Why should I have to tell them? If a sixteen year old girl can come to that conclusion, you'd think the remainder of the government would see it pretty easily.

She nodded with conviction. "Yeah, you can tell them. And then this will be _over_." She closed her eyes and sighed, like it would be as simple as that.

"That's gonna be a lot of work, Nudge," I said, always the voice of depressing reality, "People aren't going to be happy about having to change. They certainly aren't going to want to work at it. And they aren't going to want a teenage girl telling them what to do, either."

"But they have to!" she exclaimed. "They must know that. They have to change if they want a better future!"

"I'm for that," Iggy put in. "For a better future, I don't mind the work."

"For no more people shooting at us, I'm for that," Gazzy said.

"Yeah," Dylan said, meeting my eyes, "For a happier future."

I turned away from him and aimed toward the sun, rising in the east.

"To D.C. then, and a brighter future."

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**A/N: So the next chapter switches back to Fang's POV. I'm going to wait to post it until I have at least 20 reviews total, since I'm still editing the next chapter. I'll probably post it late tomorrow. Thanks for your reviews and your patience!**


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: Okay guys, here's the next chapter. Sorry it took so long, but you have officially caught up. I now have to write each chapter as you guys follow. Without further ado, read on. Hope you enjoy!**

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Fang (2014)

It has been just over a year since the plague began. Already people were starting to worry about the lack of food. People were terrified of eating anything other than food that was canned before the plague. Nobody was planting anything, and even if they had, they would probably be too afraid to eat it. They were afraid the disease was dormant in the soil, just waiting to be released again.

Plus, there were rumors spreading. Rumors of people with special abilities or strange mutations. Kids mostly, though there were few enough that had survived the plague and even less that had survived alone since then.

I had seen the scars the virus had left on the earth. In towns I flew over, I had seen the kids that had joined together in desperation. They were like hundreds of little gangs, running around town and gathering what they could. It was the only way to ensure their survival.

The same way the Flock had banded together when we escaped from the School, confronted with the prospect of the wide world against us.

I always kept an eye on the horizon, half hoping and half dreading to see them. Had they all survived the plague? What if they hadn't? What if only a few of them had survived? What if Max was alone? If she had lost all she loved?

_And the one who loved her had left her abandoned._

No. I had promised I would give her twenty years without me, and I would.

Even if the pain of it was killing me.

Since the world seemed beyond saving (or already saved, depending on your view), I decided to give up my educational endeavors. I was going to spend a few months taking stock of the world as it was now, maybe see if I can find some of these people with special abilities.

I hadn't forgotten that in my last few weeks with the Flock it was suggested that I might start a Flock of my own. Maybe, if I found some kids in need of help, I would stop for a while, show them a few pointers for living through mean times. There weren't many dumpsters to eat from anymore, but there were other ways to rough it.

Currently, I was flying over northern Utah. The landscape was beautiful, the towns seemed perfectly tranquil nestled between the mountains- until I landed. More than one town was completely deserted, devoid of all life besides hordes of skittish cats. Once I landed for only a moment before a pack of at least thirty feral dogs surrounded me, a hungry look in their eyes. Needless to say, I made a quick exit. I didn't even have time to check for the food I needed so badly. I would have to wait until the next town I came to with food to spare.

Or an abandoned cabin. I was making my way over a string of mountains when I noticed it, almost hidden amongst the thick pine trees. When I got closer, I could see it was actually much larger than it first appeared.

It looked wonderful, perfectly isolated from the rest of the world. It would have been a perfect home for the Flock, back when we were looking for a permanent place to live.

I quickly refocused on the task at hand.

I circled a few times, scanning the ground cautiously. A few of the people I had approached since the virus had reacted quite violently to a stranger. I preferred the violence to the blank stares that some gave me, or the children who acted as skittish as those abandoned cats.

The cabin seemed empty. The driveway was lined with gray stones. A little pink bicycle with streamers flying from the handlebars was laying on its side in front of the garage, one of its training wheels turning slowly in the wind. I didn't even want to think about where the owner of that bike was now.

I landed at the end of the driveway, slowly making my way up to the house. I watched the windows for any signs of movement.

When I reached the garage, I scanned the ground for footprints leading up to the footpath to the front porch.

Nothing.

I turned to the house, paused, and turned back to the bike. I set it upright and straightened the tangled streamers.

Angel would have loved that bike, once upon a time.

I sighed and continued up to the house.

I kept my wings loosely unfurled but hidden behind me, in case I missed something and someone was watching from the house. A shortage of food there may be, but it seemed it had never been easier to get a gun. I had seen a few of the kids in town carrying a rifle.

At the door, I paused again. It was slightly ajar, with a trail of leaves leading inside.

I slowed my breathing and kept all my limbs perfectly still. I had gotten better at my invisibility. I could _feel_ the difference now. My skin tingled and I knew anyone who might have been watching would be very confused right about now. To all appearances, I had vanished.

Slowly, keeping my breathing quiet and shallow, I pushed the door open with one foot. I stepped inside, setting each foot carefully, the leaves barely stirred as I moved past them.

The front room was a living room with a staircase leading up to another floor, a hallway to my right led to the kitchen. Before I could gather food I had to make sure nobody else was in the house, ready to sneak up behind me.

I went back out to the living room and glanced at the fireplace- cold and full of ashes. The remote to the TV was on a table next to an armchair. The cushion looked depressed, well used. I felt the back cushion.

Still warm.

I quieted my breathing further and felt my wings extend slightly, readying for an escape if necessary. There was a skylight above the stairs. The glass looked like it could be broken if I kicked it hard enough.

With this in mind, I started up the stairs.

The first room I came to was a bathroom, a bedroom was directly across from it. The walls were covered in pastels and flowers, the bed was covered with a pink comforter, it was pulled back and appeared to be slept in recently. Could a little girl have been left here alone?

I kept going down the hallway. I came to the master bedroom. The blankets on the king sized bed were undisturbed, tightly tucked under a pile of pillows perfectly arranged. I closed the door behind me as I left.

I went back towards the stairs, glancing in each room as I went. The girl must have hid when she saw me coming.

I was at the top of the stairs when something hot and heavy slammed into my back. I launched over the banister, the world spinning around me. I lost my concentration and felt myself become visible again. The ground came up to meet me quickly. Instinctively, I tried to open my wings, but something was holding them shut. I landed awkwardly on the sofa, and the heavy thing around me landed on top of me. I tried again to shove my wings open, but they were pinched down between my shoulder blades.

"None of that," a voice growled in my ear. Definitely not a little girl's voice. It was snarled as though through a mouth full of cotton. That and the smell was enough to tell me what I was dealing with.

Eraser.

I hadn't seen one since the virus, but I knew that smell from my earliest memories.

With all my strength I shrugged my shoulders and tried to open my wings, and for a moment I thought I had overpowered him.

Then a clawed hand grabbed my wings where they met my shoulders and _twisted_. I cried out in pain and had to hold still or risk my wings being dislocated.

"That's better," he said smugly. One arm wrapped around my throat and the smell almost gagged me, the fingers of his other hand remained firmly dug into my wings.

He pulled me up by my wings and I struggled to find my balance without moving my wings excessively.

Whoever this Eraser was, he was much taller than me. My feet hardly touched the ground. Which would give me an advantage if I could just get my wings free.

As if sensing my thoughts, he twisted at my wings again and my breath hissed out between my teeth.

He spun me around so we were facing the stairs. At the top stood a little girl, no more than seven. She was watching us with fear in her eyes, hugging something fuzzy and blue tight against her chest.

The Eraser half walked, half dragged me to the kitchen. I wondered why he didn't simply rip my wings off and be done with it. Every Eraser I've met wouldn't have cared about a little girl seeing the blood and gore of my demise. In fact, they probably would have killed the girl too, just for fun.

The kitchen was just as I had left it, although my view was somewhat obscured by the beast's furry arm.

"So," a normal voice somewhere behind us said, "Come back for more, have you?"

The Eraser growled a laugh and twisted my wings again. I yelled, trying to bend backward to lessen the pain. He kept twisting. I heard a loud pop and then blacked out.

__________

**A/N: Alright, so here's the thing. I probably won't be able to update again until Sunday because I have a family function tomorrow. I'm really, really sorry! So in the meantime, if you guys could review your little hearts out, I would love it! Try to get up to 35. I know you guys can do it, you're the best!**


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: Okay first of all guys, I'm really sorry I'm posting this late. I've been real busy, but I know that's no excuse. Then again, I was a little disappointed with the number of reviews last chapter, so I'd say we're even. Maybe you guys are losing interest, I don't know. If that's the case let me know and I'll try to amp things up a bit. In the meantime, here's a little Max chapter to whet your appetite. In case you don't get it, it's going on simultaneously with the end of the previous chapter. Next chapter we will join back up with Fang and I promise, it will be longer and some questions will be answered.**

**Also, I still do not own Maximum Ride. More's the pity.**

* * *

Max (2014)

Pain in my wing woke me.

I had been completely asleep, deep in a dream. One of those dreams that seem so real, you're not sure if you're asleep or awake. I was in a dark cabin… I could see pine trees and mountains out the window. And…someone was there… in the shadow. Dark bangs covered his eyes, his dark clothes made him seem a part of the shadows.

And then a sharp pain shot through my wing so suddenly I jerked upright with a gasp.

Iggy, who had been keeping watch, spun toward me with a curse. "Jeez, Max. You scared the hell out of me."

I was out of breath, gasping for air, my wing still tingled with pain. I stretched it forward, felt along the fragile bones. My fingers could feel the feathers, but I couldn't feel my wing. It tingled as I felt my heart racing.

"Max?" Iggy asked, "You okay?"

"Yeah, Ig," I said, feeling a little disoriented, "I- I must have slept on my wing wrong. It's… weird."

I poked it again, and this time I felt it. In my wing, I mean.

"Max?" Dylan sat up, looking at me all concerned, "What's wrong?"

"She had a bad dream or something. Slept on her wing wrong," Iggy answered for me.

Dylan looked at me closer, and I looked away from him.

"I'm fine," I muttered. I relaxed my wing, and it seemed to droop toward the ground. The blood rushing back into it seemed to be coming from my stomach, which was rolling nauseatingly.

"You look a little pale," Dylan pointed out.

"Same as always to me," Iggy remarked.

"I'm rolling my eyes, Ig," I told him, picking my wing back up gingerly.

"Why don't you get some sleep, Iggy? I'll stay up with her and take the next watch," Dylan said, oh so graciously.

"Don't need to ask me twice," Iggy laid down with his back to the fire- and us.

Dylan stood up and came over to sit next to me. I squirmed a little, putting some distance between us.

He noticed.

"I'm not going to bite, you know."

"It's not biting I'm worried about," I told him sharply.

He shook his head and sighed.

"How's your wing?"

"Fine." It wasn't. It still tingled and ached.

He looked doubtful. He twisted toward me. "Let me see."

I glared at him. "I said it's fine."

"Great, then you won't mind if I look at it."

He glared right back at me, holding my gaze until I gave up with a sigh and stretched out my wings toward him.

"This one?" he asked, touching my feathers lightly.

"Mm-hmm," I managed to convey how unhappy I was with him all in those two syllables. Yep, I'm that good.

His fingers weaved through my feathers delicately, working feeling back into my wing. Then he stroked the feathers back down, one by one, until they were lying flat and sleek.

Despite myself, it felt better. I felt my heart slow down, my breathing deepen. I started to drift off a bit.

"So what was your dream about?" he asked, his fingers still stroking my wings.

My eyes opened again, the remnants of my dream coming back to my mind.

"I don't really see how it's any of your business."

"I didn't say it was," he said, his tone exasperated, "It wasn't for my benefit. I've heard it helps to talk it out. But suit yourself."

His tone sounded nonchalant, but I could tell he was worried.

"It was about Fang, if you must know," I said smugly, wielding his name like a weapon.

It worked. His hands stopped. I slumped with disappointment.

He cleared his throat. "And?"

"He was in a cabin. I don't know where. Somewhere with mountains. And then I woke up."

He snorted. "Doesn't sound that bad to me. He's living in a mountain cabin somewhere and we're a day away from the center of the United States government about to embark on an arduous mission to save the world. Again."

"Yeah…" I trailed off.

His concern for me won over his disdain for Fang, "What?" he asked begrudgingly.

I didn't really want to talk to him about Fang. But really, who else could I talk to?

"It's just… I don't know, at the end, if that pain in my wing was mine, or his."

He didn't say anything for a while. Finally, I turned to look at him. I was shocked to see he looked angry.

"What?" I asked.

He shook his head. His hand reached out to my wing again, brushing my feathers lightly.

"I don't like that he still hurts you," he admitted.

He met my eyes, and I could tell what he meant, even though he didn't say it.

_I would never hurt you like he did._

But then, I never would have believed that Fang would either, until it was too late.

That was the problem. You can never really trust someone with your heart.

It was a mistake I wasn't planning on making again anytime soon.

I looked away from him and pulled my wings back in, closing them tight against me.

"You better get some sleep," he suggested, turning to face the others, all sleeping in a circle, "Tomorrow we arrive in D.C. And then we'll see what we'll see."

* * *

**A/N: Again, let me know what you think. Even if you think your opinion doesn't matter- trust me, it does. I'd love to hear back from you guys. I will really try my best to put another chapter up tomorrow, but no promises. I do have homework to do, papers to write, and finals to study for. Don't worry though, I don't have much of a social life to worry about. :) Thanks for reading!**


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: So this is going to be another one of those part one/part two chapters to account for the length. The next chapter will continue where this one leaves off. I will post the second part tomorrow after my last class, around five. Keep in mind that Fang is a little out of it when all this is happening, which is why I made it so vague and jerky. In the next chapter, more will be explained as a cohesive story. Read on.**

* * *

Fang (2014)

There were voices near me. Or no, maybe they _were_ me. I tried to focus, to listen, to figure out where they were coming from, but I couldn't focus on anything, because my mind kept coming back to one thing.

My wings hurt.

And not just hurt, they _hurt_. They felt on fire, torn open, torn _off_ maybe. Were they? Maybe it was my shoulders that were hurting…

I couldn't tell.

It was mind numbing, scream inducing, sob causing, gut wrenching, heart throbbing _pain_.

That was all I knew.

Cautiously, ever so gently, I tried to move one, just to make sure it was attached.

I think I screamed. I must have screamed.

The pain sharpened into a blazing hot blade sinking into my shoulder. It was overpowering. It stole the air from my lungs, I could feel my heart thumping dangerously fast in my chest. I literally saw red.

Suddenly, I could hear everything around me. Voices raised. None of it made any sense. The pain was so distracting.

"….control it!.... can't… so sorry…. Have to fix it…Try harder!"

How many voices was that? Two? Three?

Was that somebody whimpering? Could it be me?

Why was everything so dark and clouded? Where was I?

A blanket went over the sound again. Now there was nothing but the pain.

_Sorry_.

The sound came from nowhere and everywhere. Like a thought in my head, but not my own thought.

I only knew one person who could do that.

The sound of silence seemed to stretch on and on. The darkness engulfed me. The pain remained.

…

…

…

…

"Hey."

I rolled my head away from the sound, felt my shoulders ache with the movement.

Someone slapped my face. Not gently. "Hey!"

"Take it easy!" Someone else. Sounded like a girl.

"Why should I?" The first voice again. A boy. Young. A little familiar. He sighed. "What did you say his name was, again?"

"Fang." The girl again.

Now I made an effort to open my eyes. They knew my name.

The boy snorted a laugh."Nice name," He hit me again, maybe a little gentler than before, but not much. "Hey, Fang. You better wake up. We have some questions for you."

Definitely a motivator. I had a few questions of my own.

Finally, I was able to open my eyes, though it was a few seconds before I could see anything. It was bright, much too bright.

I squinted at the light, trying to see past it. I tried to bring my hand up to shade my eyes, but I couldn't move it. I looked down. I was sitting in a chair, my hands were tied together, and then tied to a wrung around the legs of the chair. The rope was slack enough that I could rest my hands on my lap, but not raise them any higher. My feet were tied too.

"As you can see, you're not going anywhere. So you may as well answer my questions."

I brought my eyes back up. Now I could see a silhouette, standing a few feet away at the base of a tall floodlight pointed directly at me.

Seriously? These guys were old school interrogators.

"First, how did you find us?"

My head was still a little fuzzy, but I was certain the pain in my wings was much less than it had been. I shrugged my shoulders and discreetly shifted my wings, testing the pain.

It hurt-badly-but it was bearable. I might even be able to fly.

"Don't even think about it," he stepped forward, trying to be intimidating I suppose, and I was able to see him better. I was right, he was young, no more than fourteen. No wonder his interrogation skills were lacking. Not very intimidating either.

"You wouldn't even get a foot off the ground before we'd shoot you back down."

We? I turned my head. No sign of the girl I had heard. Ah, the Eraser. He was standing about ten feet to my right, and he was holding a gun. Lovely.

Wait…

"That's a dart gun," I pointed out. My voice shocked me, it was raw and gravely. I definitely must have screamed when the hairy beast had dislocated my wings.

And yet… my wings were fine now. Mostly, anyway.

Even I don't heal that well without help, which means they must have helped.

Interesting.

"A dart gun, yes. As I said, we have questions. Which brings us back to," he paused, leaned closer to me, "how did you find us?"

"Online. I Googled bad-ass thirteen year olds."

He didn't laugh. He hit me.

I've been hit a lot in my life, occasionally even by thirteen year olds. But this kid could _hit_. I felt my neck crack as my head whipped around.

"I'm almost fifteen, for the record. Now, how did you find us?"

I looked at him coolly. "You know, I didn't catch your name."

"I didn't offer it. Now tell me how you found us or I'll hit you again."

"Tell me your name and I'll tell you how I found you."

"Nightwing."

"I flew over."

"Obviously."

"Wait, _Nightwing_? Seriously? And you take issue with 'Fang'?"

He hit me again. My witty banter was paused for a moment as I collected my senses.

"I've good reason for my name, as you well know. I know your mistress doesn't keep you _that_ clueless."

"What?"

He ignored my question. "Now, I want specifics. It took you awhile longer this time. It's been, what, three months? So what gave us away?"

"I honestly have no idea what you're talking about."

He sighed. "Tell you what. You start telling me the truth and maybe I'll let you crawl back to your mistress. After Bernt tears your wings off, of course." He indicated the Eraser, still standing there watching the proceedings impassively.

"Bernt, now? Man, you guys are a creative bunch."

"No worse than Nudge or Iggy or Gasman, I think," he said smugly, then grinned in a very unnerving way, "or Maximum."

All systems froze. I kept my face blank, retreated behind a mask of indifference.

"Nothing to say now? Odd, isn't it? I can threaten to tear your wings off and you don't even flinch. Mention your little Flock and you shut down."

"You've got some faulty information. I'm not with them anymore." My voice was strained, my wings were starting to throb with the tension in my muscles.

"I don't care about _them_," he said, and I made sure my relief didn't show. Max didn't need some psycho fourteen year old and his pet Eraser chasing after them. "What I want to know about," he continued, "is who you're with now. And how you managed to find us."

This conversation was getting a little too vague for me to follow. "Okay, look. First of all, I'm not with anyone. I'm alone. Solo. Secondly, I wasn't looking for you. I was looking for food. The place seemed deserted." Until I landed and saw the little girl. But I didn't want to think about what they did to her.

He cocked his head to the side like he was listening to something. He was quiet for a few seconds.

"Fine. Say I believe you. Am I just supposed to believe it was a coincidence that _you_, of all people, just happened to find us?"

"What do you mean, me of all people?"

"I mean you were a part of her Flock!" he said emphatically, "She's looking for us, and you just happened to find us?"

"M-" I swallowed, "Max is looking for you?"

He looked at me strangely. "What? No! I'm talking about that little psycho with the white wings! The one who has all those people following her around, using them like puppets. The one who keeps sending people after us for some reason. The one you call-"

"Angel."

* * *

**A/N: Ah, so Angel's whereabouts are revealed. Tune in next time to learn a little more about her motives. **

**If you didn't follow what just happened, I suggest reading it again. And then reviewing. Always review. It makes me squirm with joy!**

**Thanks for reading!**


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: Okay, I know I'm a couple hours late but I ran into a dilemma. I'll let you guys read it first so you're unbiased, and at the end fill you in on the problem.**

**Just thought I'd remind everybody that I do not own Maximum Ride, or Fang. But I can always dream, right?**

* * *

The pieces fell into place. Sort of.

"Angel?" I repeated.

"Yeah," he said, like it was the most obvious thing in the world, "Though why you all call her that I've no idea. She's no angel. In fact, quite the opposite."

I struggled to understand, but the fuzziness in my head still hadn't gone away.

"She… she's not with Max?"

"Nope."

"And she's after you?"

"Us, that's correct."

"Because…?"

"We were hoping you could tell us."

"Back when you though I was one of her…agents."

"I'm still not convinced you're not," he pointed out.

"Huh."

I mulled all this over. They thought I was acting under Angel's orders. Or more likely, her influence. She could easily get someone to come after these people if she wanted to. _Why_ she would want to was anybody's guess.

He said she had other people following her, others that had found them for her. For a moment, I wondered what happened to those others.

Nightwing was watching me closely.

I stared back.

"Did you think of anything we didn't?" he asked.

"Hard to think clearly when you're in pain," I said, "Plus, I'm a little disinclined to help you out anyway. You do have me tied to a chair."

He scowled. "We fixed your wings. That should count for something. We did it as a sign of trust."

I scoffed. "You fixed me so I'd trust you, and then tied me to a chair… to confuse me?"

He took a step back.

"_And_, who dislocated my wings in the first place?"

"Well…" he said.

I knew the truth. He had needed me healthy so he could interrogate me. Not because he wanted my trust. Beyond that, it was hard to figure out his motives.

"Did you guys drug me?" Perhaps that was why it was so hard to focus.

His eyes shifted to the Eraser and back. "Yeah, for the pain."

It was a lie.

He cocked his head to the side again, like he had before. Listening.

"Shut up," he muttered.

I had seen behavior like that before, when Max listened to her Voice.

He must have a Voice like Max. And Angel.

He spun to look at me critically, his eyes narrowing. Then he turned to the air next to him and spoke to it.

"No! I was supposed to be in charge of that!"

"Well, you're not doing a very good job," a girl appeared next to him, just stepped out of the air. I wondered if that's what it looked like when I became visible from nowhere. Could she have the same power as me?

I recognized her voice. It was the one I had heard before. She had told Nightwing not to hit me. She looked about as old as I was, with dirty jeans and a black v-neck t-shirt. Her hair was cropped short, a very shiny coppery brown.

She walked up to me, and I waited for her to say something. Or hit me. Either seemed likely.

"Nightwing, why don't you go check on Blue? She's worried about you. I'll keep asking Fang some questions."

"Are you asking or telling?"

She shot him a look and he pouted but walked angrily to the door. He paused next to the Eraser.

"Keep a close watch on him," he told the big man, "_Don't_ let her untie him."

The Eraser nodded and the boy walked out, slamming the door behind him.

The girl sighed. "I'm sorry about that. I told him we could trust you. I told him you were telling the truth. He's … paranoid."

She shook her head sadly, "Although in my experience you don't live long without a healthy dose of paranoia."

She sighed again. I twisted my hands against the ropes, which were starting to burn. And I watched this strange girl who shared command with a fourteen year old.

"Oh, I'm sorry," she crouched down so we were at eye level. "I didn't introduce myself. I'm Penny. I'd shake your hand, but…"

Penny. Fitting. Her hair was exactly the color of a penny.

She laughed. "Actually, it's not my real name. Nightwing's isn't either. But I'm not named for my hair."

She straightened up and as she did a pair of wings spread out behind her. They were the same color as her hair. Amazingly shiny. The shape was a little different from mine. They were narrower, came to a sharper point. She probably had to work twice as hard to stay in the air.

"Yeah, well. I'm not the best flier anyway." She smiled.

I thought as I scrutinized her wings. Perhaps this had something to do with why Angel was looking for them.

"So you have wings and you're a telepath. Surprised this group lets you stick around. Those are the same abilities Angel had before she went bad."

Her eyes narrowed in anger. "You don't know me, so I'll let that go for now. And for your information, I'm not just a telepath. Or, if I am, I'm a very advanced one. I was blocking your brain from picking up sound before. That's why you couldn't hear us. And you couldn't see me because I selectively made it so you couldn't. Plus, I can do this."

She looked at me intently and suddenly we were standing on a dark, dry pitted surface of rock. I looked up and saw the earth. We were on the moon.

We snapped back to the room with the floodlights.

"Or…" she trailed off.

We were on a beach. I was standing. I could feel the sun on my skin. Then I noticed a dark shape flying towards us over the water. I watched with horror as it touched the earth, started running toward me. It got closer and I could see it was her. Max.

"Stop!" I yelled.

I was back in my chair. Still tied up. Gasping for air.

Penny was standing in front of me, her hands on her hips.

"I would have thought you'd be happy to see her again. I didn't realize…"

I glared at her.

"I'm sorry," she said in a small voice.

I believed her. But that could have been because she made me believe her.

"It's not!" she said angrily, "I mean, I'm not! I did that for you, honestly! I was just showing you that this thing I can do, I could drive someone crazy. But I don't. I could control people, like Angel does. But I don't. That's what makes me different from her. She chooses to be evil," she met my eyes defiantly, "But I don't."

She stood there quietly for a moment.

"I'm going to go convince Nightwing that it's safe to untie you," she muttered, and headed for the door, "Without any kind of mind control," she added quickly, turning to look at me again.

I nodded and relaxed against my constraints.

She left and the Eraser stayed in the room with me.

I considered the strange situation I was in. Who were these people? Why exactly was Angel after them? Would they let me go? If they did, where should I go after this? Should I maybe warn Max that Angel seemed to be gathering an army?

Or was I just looking for an excuse to find Max?

Very likely.

I waited for about twenty minutes before anything happened. Then the Eraser suddenly pushed off from the wall he had been leaning against and walked over to me. As he did, he pulled out a switchblade from his pocket.

I leaned back in my chair, shifting my weight so I might be able to head butt him if he got close enough.

He kneeled in front of me and cut the bonds that held my feet together. Then the rope that tied me to the chair. My hands were still tied together, with a foot of rope to act as a leash.

"Nightwing says to bring you up to the house," the monster informed me. "He said to shoot you if you try to fly. So don't."

I watched him flip the knife closed and put it back in his pocket. Then I leaned forward and stood with some effort.

He eyed me warily. "You walk?"

I grimaced. "Barely. You land on me, remember?"

My mocking was lost on him, "Sorry. S'posed to flap. Forgot."

He shrugged his shoulders and wings unfolded behind him. They were massive, as they'd have to be to hold him up, at least eight and a half feet tip to tip. The feathers seemed ruffled, like they were new. There was no pattern to them. He had feathers of every color, mottled and not very pretty. I wondered if they had been grafted on like the other Erasers, or if this was some new version.

He leaned forward to take the length of rope attached to my hands and I got a pungent whiff of him. The fur and stink I normally associated with Erasers was there, as was something else.

"You're drunk," I pointed out, a little surprised. I'd never known an Eraser who drank before. It explained his slurred speech.

He jerked on the rope. "Still shoot you outta the sky. Don't try nothin'," he grumbled.

I wasn't planning on it. I wanted to find out more about this weird group of kids and one extra weird Eraser. I wanted to know what had happened to that little girl. I wanted to know if these people were a threat - to me or Max and her mission.

Because if Angel was planning some kind of world domination, then the world definitely needed saving now.

* * *

**A/N: So the thing is, ****I think I need to make a part three to this part. I need to either continue a medium length chapter explaining a little more about the ragtag group of kids or I can just continue with the story and throw facts in there kind of randomly. Which would you guys prefer? I'm leaning toward the extra chapter, just because it will be easier to follow that way. Let me know what you think.**


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N: Okay guys, I'm really, really sorry that I haven't updated in a few days but I had a full weekend. The good news is that having so much to do made me extremely tired and luckily I do my best writing when I'm tired. No joke, I can spin crap into gold when I'm well and truly exhausted. As such I have planned the next three or four chapters and I have to say, I'm really excited to see what you guys think. Unfortunately, I still have to type them up and I have a presentation due this week but after that I will get to focus on doing what I love most – updating and hearing back from you guys!**

** I put this chapter in as a break from Fang for a moment, since some of you said you wanted to know what was going on with Max. Next chapter we will join back up with Fang and see what happens with him. Also, I'm thinking about trying a few chapters in other characters' POV (maybe even Angel's, *gasp*). We'll see. And in the beginning of the next chapter, I will be answering any questions in the reviews I haven't covered yet so if you have one, speak now.**

**Well, that was a really long note, but I want to keep you guys up to date. Without further ado, I present chapter 9!**

* * *

Max (still 2014)

By no stretch of the imagination could our arrival in DC be described as "smooth."

First, there was the fact that Gazzy insisted on trying some kind of Spiderman landing on the Washington Monument before we visited the White House.

Second was the fact that because of his stunt, there was a group of twenty armed guards waiting for us in front of the White House as soon as we touched solid ground.

Oh, and also we had apparently been "red flagged" as we soon found out. Not a good thing, judging from the looks some of the guards with Uzis were giving us.

We were escorted, in a not very welcoming manner, off the grounds to a nearby building, which apparently consisted mainly of different sized conference rooms. Don't ask me the name of the building, the guards weren't very good tour guides.

They led us to one of the larger conference rooms, forced us in at gunpoint, and left- shutting the doors behind them. When I say this room was large, I meant it would take more than a few wing beats to get all the way around. And there were no other doors to provide an escape.

"Look at this place!" Gazzy exclaimed. He then took off running around the table and sat at the swivel chair at the far end of the table. He put a pompous look on his face, folded his hands on the table in front of him, and affected a monotonous voice. "I declare this situation as severely hazardous, and the members of the government immediately outside the door as pushy and rude." He paused for dramatic effect. "Also, the guns they carry are extremely bad-ass."

"Language, Gazzy," I said distractedly, still scanning the room for an exit. Dylan shadowed me, and I did my best to ignore him.

Iggy walked over to the wall and stared closely at it.

"The walls are white."

"Yeah, seems to be a theme with these people," Nudge said, looking around the room distastefully. "I could do wonders with this space. A few pictures on the wall, a few well placed potted plants, a different coat of paint, obviously. Seriously, it's so stuffy. I bet people fall asleep regularly at whatever kind of meetings that go on in here."

"I believe they are super secret meetings in a super secret building with super secret members of the government concerning super secret matters of importance," Gazzy continued in his monotonous voice.

"Actually, we talk about the weather," a voice said behind us, "And discuss laws that might benefit the country."

We turned and saw that a group of people had come in behind us. Five people and five guards with guns. One guard per each one of us. If things got dicey, I'd say the odds were in our favor. I'd say that, but they have automatic rifles and we do not. So I'd better be on my best behavior.

"You mean the laws that give us the right to visit our nation's capital without being harassed?" I asked. Hey, can I help it if my best behavior is a bit lacking? I grew up in a dog crate, remember?

The guards fanned out around the room and shifted their guns menacingly. One walked over to where Gazzy was sitting and remained next to him as he swiveled 360 degrees around holding his hands in the air.

The man in the front of the group, who seemed to be about 24 and was in a suit that was clearly at least a size too big for him, stepped forward.

"Max, you may not remember but we've worked together before. I was one of the scientists working on the information we collected in Antarctica. I'm Mike," he offered his hand, but I wasn't about to shake it.

"You're right, I don't remember you. But if that's the case, you seem to have risen a bit in the scheme of things," I said.

He waved his un-shook hand in the air as if dismissing this, "It's true the government has been more willing to listen to what we have to say now. They understand the risks better than before, although convincing them of how to change that has been rather difficult."

"Well Mike, that's why we're here."

The men behind him shuffled around to look at me, muttering amongst themselves.

"Sorry?" Mike asked, looking at each one of us in turn.

I spread my arms wide, "We are here to help our fellow man see the error of their past ways. It is time to do or die. Put us to work, captain."

The group of men behind him erupted into loud protest. He turned to calm them and I waited for them all to shut up.

Finally one man stepped forward to address us. He was short, shorter even than me, with a balding head and a red face. "How dare you show up and just expect to take over?! Why should we even listen to you- an uneducated, underage, delinquent female?"

I stepped up to him and punched him in the nose. I held back, so as not to break it. Wouldn't want to get blood on their sparkling white carpet. Then I curtsied, in case my femininity was in question.

"Firstly, I'm nineteen- not a minor. Second, I've no criminal record. Third, my education… Well, you have me there. But the issue of my gender is probably best unmentioned." These people really didn't want me to go all feminist on their- well, as I said, we need to work on our language.

The man held his nose, his face going even redder. I could see tears in his eyes, but that didn't hide the rage that was in them. He stepped back with a glare at me.

Mike stepped forward again, a little wary, "Frank was out of line, Max. And I'm sure he's sorry," he added, glancing at him, "But what exactly do you mean to do? We are only a small part of the government, but nobody really knows what we are supposed to do from here. There's no plan for this. Nobody is really in charge-" One of the men behind him coughed significantly. Mike rolled his eyes, "The point is, we don't need more underlings. What we need is a leader."

He met my eyes suggestively. I looked at the men behind him, and saw they were looking at me the same way. Well, except for Frank.

"Whoa, you're saying you want _me_ to _lead_?" I glanced at the Flock behind me, but they looked just as shocked as me. I studied the faces of the guards, but they seemed oblivious to the conversation that was going on. "Look guys, I'm flattered and all but I couldn't even stop Gazzy from playing around on the Washington Monument. You seriously want me to run a _country_?"

"You wouldn't really be running the country. You would just be advising us on what to do. And it would only be until we get a solid plan in order and a few government members replaced. It would only be temporary," Mike assured me.

"Very temporary," Frank muttered behind him, his voice nasally and high. I glared at him, but Mike ignored him.

"And you wouldn't be doing it alone. You would have all the government helping you, and the advisors to the President!"

"You mean whatever's left of them," I pointed out.

He continued, "You would have the resources to make a difference! You would give us the fresh start we need."

I shifted uncomfortably, "There's got to be somebody better qualified. Somebody who knows the proper procedures and the laws and everything."

He shook his head. "All that is not going to matter. Those people are trained for what to do in times of peace. Nobody knows what to do in a time of chaos."

"You do have plenty of experience with chaos, Max," Gazzy said from his swivel chair.

"And you always know what to do in a bad situation," Iggy said.

"And you have us," Dylan said, reaching out to touch my arm.

I shifted away from him, mulling it over.

"You guys don't want me. See, I can't even decide whether or not I want to be the one making decisions! That's got to be a bad sign, right? I don't want to do this."

"Haven't you ever heard the expression that people who want power shouldn't be allowed to have it? You should only give it to people who don't want it," Mike pointed out.

"No, I haven't heard that. I'm uneducated, remember?"

Mike sighed, "Why don't you just give it a try, Max? In a few days, if it's not working out, you can back out. Nobody will think less of you."

I looked around the room. Everybody was looking at me expectantly. No escape.

"Agh," I groaned, "Fine! But only for a few days."

Mike clapped his hands together and beamed, "Excellent! Now, a few problems we've been having. Firstly, food is becoming rather scarce. We need a way to ration it out. Oh, and we haven't been able to get into the President's computer yet. He has important information on it and we can't access it. We have some of our best tech guys on it but no luck yet-"

I shifted into leader mode. If I was going to do this, I was going to do it right. "Okay, Nudge, you take the computer. Gazzy can go with you, we need to stay in pairs." The Flock nodded, that was a given. These people hadn't earned our trust yet. I mean, come on, they greeted us with armed guards. "Iggy and I will see about planning some food recon. Dylan-"

"I go where you go," he said quickly, stepping closer to me.

I pushed him back with one finger. "You go keep an eye on Gazzy while Nudge works on the computer."

He opened his mouth to protest.

"Ah-ah!" I said, waving a finger. "Leader, remember?"

He scowled at me, but nodded and joined the other two as they followed a guard out of the room. Gazzy was practically skipping with joy.

I yelled at their retreating backs, "And if anyone finds a large red button in the President's room that says "Do not press!" then for the love of God, don't press it!"

A leader has to think of everything.

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**A/N: 'Kay, so you want to know what would be really great? If we could reach 60 reviews in under 10 chapters! I think it could happen, because you guys are just the best! So go ahead and prove me right and press that review button!**


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